Pipelines

Distance and politics mean no easy solution to Russia’s pipeline problem

Power of Siberia 2, Russia’s long-in-development pipeline designed to send additional gas to China, has taken on a new importance in the past year because of Moscow’s collapsing energy relationship with Europe. The proposed route for the Soyuz–Vostok portion of the pipeline would run from Irkutsk, across Mongolia and onwards to Beijing. It would carry 50–80bn m³/yr of gas.

Energy Transfer to acquire Lotus Midstream in a $1.45 billion transaction

Energy Transfer LP (NYSE: ET) and Lotus Midstream LLC announced today that the parties have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which Energy Transfer will acquire Lotus Midstream Operations, LLC (Lotus Midstream) in a transaction valued at approximately $1.45 billion from an affiliate of EnCap Flatrock Midstream (EFM). Consideration for the transaction will be comprised of $900 million in cash and approximately 44.5 million newly issued Energy Transfer common units. Lotus Midstream owns and operates Centurion Pipeline Company LLC, an integrated, crude midstream platform located in the Permian Basin. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2023, subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.

SGN and NGT accelerate hydrogen plans for Scotland and southern England

Over the next 12 months, they will undertake three pre-FEED studies in Scotland and southern England to determine the route and design of hydrogen transmission infrastructure to support our wider ambition to decarbonise heat in homes.

First Green Hydrogen Injection Demonstration Project in Portugal

Marubeni Corporation launched the first green hydrogen injection demonstration project in the natural gas distribution network of Portugal through its investment in Floene Energias, S.A. , a gas distribution system operator in Portugal with over 70% of the country’s market share.

Fitzroy to Gladstone Pipeline approval secures water reliability for Gladstone

The Queensland Government has approved the Fitzroy to Gladstone Pipeline for construction, which will provide greater long-term water security to Gladstone’s industry and support ongoing economic development in the region.

Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) Grants Construction Approval for East African Crude Oil Pipeline Project

The construction license is required to enable EACOP to formally start on the ground construction activities in Tanzania as part of the development of the 1,443km, 24-inch diameter insulated and buried crude oil pipeline that will start from Kabaale, Hoima in Uganda to Chongoleani, Tanga in Tanzania.

TC Energy Declares Coastal GasLink Pipeline to be 83% Complete

The Coastal GasLink Project continues to make significant progress having reached approximately 83 per cent overall completion. The entire route has been cleared, grading is more than 94 per cent complete and over 485 km of the approximately 670 km pipeline has been backfilled with restoration activities underway in many areas.

bp reveals plans to evaluate expansion of Germany’s green energy port with a new hydrogen hub

bp will evaluate the feasibility of building a new hydrogen hub in Germany. The project, which would be located in Wilhelmshaven, is expected to include an industry leading ammonia cracker which could provide up to 130,000 tons of low-carbon hydrogen from green ammonia, per year, from 2028.

Bulgaria Looking to Revive 186-Mile Trans-Balkan Pipeline Project

Bulgaria is looking to revive a trans-Balkan oil pipeline project to secure non-Russian crude oil supplies for its only oil refinery on the Black Sea, controlled by Russia's Lukoil, President Rumen Radev said on Tuesday.

Equinor and RWE have agreed to work together to develop large-scale value chains for low carbon hydrogen.

The partners aim to replace coal fired power plants with hydrogen-ready gas fired power plants in Germany, and to build production of low carbon and renewable hydrogen in Norway that will be exported through pipeline to Germany.

Six partners have signed a cooperation agreement to develop Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor

The EU member states are currently in the process of dynamic changes related to the energy transformation and the decarbonisation of the European economy. Hydrogen is expected to be one of the key fuels in the EU's energy transformation. Now, the gas transmission systems operators (TSOs) are moving in good collaboration from European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB) vision to action. On December 14, 2022 TSOs from six EU countries signed a cooperation agreement on a cross border project, Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor.

Report: Global Investment Financing Trends Rebound

Are global and regional foreign direct investment (FDI) trends favorable for those investing in new pipelines or redeveloping existing ones? The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD’s) “World Investment Report 2022” answers that question.  According to Richard Bolwijn, UNCTAD’s head of the Investment Research Branch, his organization’s work is now focused on providing investors with a clear view into both trends. It presents key national and international investment policy developments that will affect investments into pipelines.

280-Mile Hydrogen Pipeline Connecting Spain to France to Cost $2.6 Billion

An underwater pipeline set to carry green hydrogen between Spain and France will cost about 2.5 billion euros ($2.6 billion), Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday, adding he hoped the European Union would partly fund the project. The pipeline between Barcelona and Marseille will have a capacity of 2 million tonnes a year and be ready by the end of the decade, Sanchez said at a summit of Mediterranean European Union leaders in the southeastern Spanish port city of Alicante.

Savannah Energy Acquires Exxon’s 672-Mile Chad-Cameroon Pipeline

Exxon Mobil Corp. on Friday closed a $407 million sale of its operations in Central Africa's Chad and Cameroon to London-listed firm Savannah Energy Plc. The deal will see the British firm will take over Exxon's 40% indirect interest in the Chad-Cameroon export transportation system — a 1,081-km (672-mile) pipeline and floating storage and offloading facility offshore in Cameroon. Savannah has operated in Nigeria and Niger.

SUMMIT CARBON SOLUTIONS PARTNERS WITH NEBRASKA LANDOWNERS TO ACHIEVE MAJOR PROJECT MILESTONE

The company has secured easement agreements for more than 50% of the proposed pipeline route in Nebraska Summit Carbon Solutions has partnered with 345 Nebraska landowners to sign 465 easement agreements

Canada's TC Energy Gets Approval to Expand NGTL Gas Pipeline System

(Reuters) — The Canadian government on Wednesday approved an expansion to TC Energy's NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd (NGTL) pipeline system in Alberta, which will help improve market access for western Canadian natural gas. The West Path Delivery 2023 (WP2023) project will add about 40 km (25 miles) of new natural gas pipeline to the existing 25,000-km (15,534 miles) NGTL system, which ships gas across Canada and to U.S. markets.

Enbridge Approves $2.7 Billion Expansion of Southern B.C. Pipeline System

Enbridge Inc. on Friday sanctioned an expansion of the southern segment of its British Columbia (B.C.) pipeline system, a project that would cost up to C$3.6 billion ($2.65 billion), after strong demand from crude oil producers.

Exxon Selling Yellowstone Pipeline Rights, Silvertip Crude Oil Pipeline for $310 Million

Reuters) — Exxon Mobil Corp. on Thursday agreed to sell its Billings, Montana, refinery and related pipeline properties to Par Pacific Holdings Inc. for $310 million.

Hungary, Serbia Agree to Build Pipeline to Ship Russian Oil to Serbia

Hungary and Serbia have agreed to build a pipeline to supply Serbia with Russian Urals crude via the Druzhba oil pipeline as Belgrade's shipments via Croatia fall under EU sanctions, the Hungarian government said on Monday. Last week the European Union agreed on new restrictions against Russia over its war against Ukraine, which include an oil price cap for Russian seaborne crude deliveries to third countries. Serbia gets its oil via the JANAF oil pipeline from Croatia.

PETRONAS Declares Force Majeure on Gas Supply to MLNG Dua

PETRONAS has declared Force Majeure (FM) on gas supply to MLNG Dua due to a pipeline leak caused by soil movement at the vicinity of KP201, Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline (SSGP) that occurred on 21 September 2022

Gasunie starts construction of national hydrogen network in the Netherlands

Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy Rob Jetten announced new plans for the construction of a national transport network for hydrogen. Gasunie will develop the hydrogen network in the Netherlands in the coming years, after which it will assume the role of TSO (Transmission System Operator). Gasunie will also play an important role in the storage and import of hydrogen. Due to the expected growth in offshore hydrogen production in the North Sea, Minister Jetten will investigate whether Gasunie can also fulfill the role of grid operator at sea. These new plans are a major step in the development of a more sustainable energy system in the Netherlands.

Gasgrid Finland and Nordion Energi have jointly agreed to start investigating the possibilities to cooperate in hydrogen infrastructure

The national gas transmission system operators (TSOs) in Finland and Sweden, Gasgrid Finland and Nordion Energi respectively, have agreed to investigate the possibilities to develop a new hydrogen infrastructure and market in the Bothnian Bay region. The potential demand for hydrogen, primarily used for enabling the transition and expansion of industries in the region, is estimated to be 100 TWh.

SGN to deliver £29.9m national strategic hydrogen transmission and storage project

The funding from the energy regulator Ofgem and gas distribution companies will help determine whether Great Britain’s transmission networks can be repurposed for hydrogen gas. The project will be based in Grangemouth, Scotland, and delivered in partnership with Global Chemical Company, INEOS, who have extensive manufacturing and infrastructure facilities in the region.

OGE and RWE present national infrastructure concept H2ercules

Hydrogen production, storage and import terminals in the north of Germany to be connected with consumers in the west and south Plans for up to 1 GW of new electrolyser capacity and 1,500 kilometres of pipeline Further partners to be connected / large consumers have signalled interest

Online Exclusive (Opinion): Security for U.S. and Europe begins with new energy policy

It is high time that the U.S. forges a new energy policy based on facts and common sense. Before Tuesday’s decision to halt the import of Russian oil and gas, the Biden Administration had put more sanctions on U.S. oil and gas than on Russian oil and gas. Public lands have been made off-limits for drilling. The cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline, and restrictions on other pipelines, have blocked the efficient U.S. distribution and export of energy. FERC approvals and EPA requirements have hampered the development of several gas export projects. Only the Russian assault on Ukraine has stopped Nord Stream 2, and that from Germany—not the U.S.

Online Exclusive (Opinion): Security for U.S. and Europe begins with new energy policy

It is high time that the U.S. forges a new energy policy based on facts and common sense. Before Tuesday’s decision to halt the import of Russian oil and gas, the Biden Administration had put more sanctions on U.S. oil and gas than on Russian oil and gas. Public lands have been made off-limits for drilling. The cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline, and restrictions on other pipelines, have blocked the efficient U.S. distribution and export of energy. FERC approvals and EPA requirements have hampered the development of several gas export projects. Only the Russian assault on Ukraine has stopped Nord Stream 2, and that from Germany—not the U.S.

Centrica supports National Grid project to explore green hydrogen injection

Centrica is set to support National Grid to establish methods for injecting green hydrogen into the National Transmission System (NTS). To meet the net zero targets set by the UK government, the UK gas networks need to decarbonise. National Grid, alongside CNG Services, Element Energy and Centrica, have been granted £114,652 for a discovery phase project as part of Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) competition.

Britain’s gas grid to be ready to deliver hydrogen across the country from 2023, energy networks announce

Energy Networks Association (ENA) has published Britain’s Hydrogen Blending Delivery Plan, setting out how all five of Britain’s gas grid companies will meet the Government’s target for Britain’s network of gas pipes to be ready to deliver 20% hydrogen to homes and businesses acround the country from 2023, as a replacement for up to a fifth of the natural gas currently used. It will also mean that Britain’s fleet of gas-fired power plants will be able to use blended hydrogen to generate cleaner electricity.

Wood awarded consenting and FEED contracts for the UK’s first hydrogen distribution pipeline infrastructure

Wood has been awarded the consenting and environmental assessment and front-end engineering design (FEED) contracts for Cadent’s HyNet North West, an innovative project that aims to unlock a lower carbon economy for the North West of England and North Wales. The industry-leading HyNet North West project has the potential to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by 10 million tonnes a year by 2030 – the equivalent of taking 4 million cars off the road.

Wintershall Dea investigates conversion of north sea natural gas pipelines for CO2 transport

Wintershall Dea, Europe's leading independent gas and oil company, is working with the OTH Regensburg University of Applied Sciences to explore how existing natural gas pipelines in the southern North Sea can be used for future CO2 transport. Initial calculations paint a positive picture. Results obtained so far suggest that the offshore pipelines could be safely and efficiently repurposed for transport of liquid CO2. As the study progresses, technical feasibility will be tested, and certification will take place.